In a major political twist with eyes on 2027, former Kano State Governor and presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, met behind closed doors with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.
The development is fueling strong speculation about a potential alliance between the two northern and southwestern political giants.
Kwankwaso, 67, a seasoned political tactician and founder of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, confirmed after the meeting that he “might work with the President” but declined to reveal details.
This marks their second publicly known meeting in just over two years, the first being in June 2023—shortly after Tinubu’s inauguration.
What makes Monday’s meeting even more politically significant is its timing and consequence. Sources within the presidency suggest that Tinubu’s willingness to reconcile with Kwankwaso may have contributed to the exit of Abdullahi Ganduje as APC National Chairman.
Ganduje, a staunch Tinubu loyalist, shares a long-standing bitter rivalry with Kwankwaso, making any alliance between Tinubu and Kwankwaso practically impossible while Ganduje remained at the helm of the ruling party.
Kwankwaso’s presence earlier in the day at the Nigeria Forest Economy Summit 2025 at the State House Conference Centre provided the perfect cover for the unannounced private engagement at the president’s residence.
Though aides declined to disclose the full content of their conversation, political observers interpret it as part of ongoing high-stakes maneuvers ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
The meeting also comes amid moves by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to build a broad-based opposition coalition. While Kwankwaso’s New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has not officially joined the ADC coalition, opposition parties have been openly courting him, recognizing his electoral strength in the North—especially after his strong 2023 showing in Kano, where his party secured the governorship and state assembly majority.
Whether this meeting signals a strategic merger, political endorsement, or quiet understanding, one thing is clear: Tinubu wants Kwankwaso on his side and is willing to make sacrifices to get him. The 2027 race has unofficially begun.
